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When it comes to your health, there is no greater risk to it than dental issues.  Your teeth and gums can be the cause of unseen health problems, which is why dental hygiene and regular dental visits are so very important to your overall health.  While you may be thinking “What do my teeth have to do with the rest of my body?  That can’t be connected.”, you would be wrong, as issues such as high blood pressure can be directly linked to poor dental health.

What can I do to ensure that my dental health is taken care of?

While regular visits are always a must, there are times when emergencies arise and you’ll need to handle them right away.  This requires finding a dentist near you now, rather than waiting a few days to see if the problem goes away.  While there may be the temptation to put off a visit, do not do so.  Emergencies are not something you can ignore, even if the initial pain seems to have worn off.

What kind of emergencies can my dentist take care of in the office?

There are a variety of dental emergencies that your provider can handle in their office, and quite often they will make room for walk-ins in case of an emergency.  This is why it is unreasonable to wait to see a provider, as well as the risk for serious health issues if the problem is not addressed.  A quick list of possible emergencies that can be handled by your dentist are as follows:

  • Lost crown
  • Lost filling
  • Broken tooth or teeth (within reason and not below the gum line)
  • Chipped teeth
  • Abscess on the gums

All of these are emergencies that your provider can often take care of with a quick visit.  While the issue of abscess may be more complicated in nature, it is important to handle it immediately, as infections will not just “go away” without proper treatment.  Although you may drain an abscess, the infection within still remains and the problem will recur until the infection is treated with antibiotics and further treatment if necessary.

What kind of emergencies may require a referral?

While many dentists can handle a wide range of emergencies right in the office, there are some problems that can require outside referral or arrangements to handle the problem at a local medical clinic.  We’ve given a short list of these problems below:

Teeth broken below the gum line

Large-scale damage to several teeth

Abscessed teeth (not periodontal abscess, which is in the gum line)

Damage that goes below the bone of the jaw

As stated, this is just a short list, because they are the most common issues that your provider may have to make more serious arrangements to treat.  As always, your provider will know exactly what treatment you need depending on your dental emergency and will quickly and efficiently arrange the specific services to take care of your dental pain.